Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Smokefree Rockquest: Taupō’s Pocket Watchers win regional final

SunLive
26 May, 2025 10:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Kaegan Palmer of Pocket Watchers. Photo / Doug Menzies

Kaegan Palmer of Pocket Watchers. Photo / Doug Menzies

Pocket Watchers from Taupo-Nui-A-Tia-College took out this year’s Rotorua regional Smokefree Rockquest final at Sir Howard Morrison Centre on Friday night.

The programme, now in its 37th year, is held nationwide with events in 21 regions from Whangārei to Invercargill.

This year is the biggest yet with more than a thousand acts taking part across the country during May and June, said a spokesperson for the event.

Acts compete across two categories, ‘solo-duo’ and ‘band’, with Smokefree Tangata Beats run alongside.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

After gaining first place at the regional Smokefree Rockquest, 16-year-old Leroy Walker (saxophone and backing vocals in the Pocket Watchers) said: “Everyone was so cool and amazing”.

“We thought everyone today deserved a great chance at it, I wish them all the best of luck in their futures. It’s just a great event.”

Second in the band category was Nga Kai Kiore from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Huiarau.

The top spot of the solo-duo category went to Mikayla Edwards, from Tauhara College, and second place to Floss Savanah and John Tamuno from John Paul College.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

All four Smokefree Rockquest place winners now have the opportunity to submit a video of their original material for selection as one of the top 15 national finalists to play off at the national finals in September.

The Smokefree Tangata Beats regional winners are Kotahi te Rā from Rotorua Boys’ High School.

They now go into the selection process for the national final of Smokefree Tangata Beats, at Auckland’s ASB Theatre on September 13.

RQP co-founder and co-director Glenn Common said the next stage of the programme offers new opportunities for development, building on what the entrants have already experienced.

“Preparing their performance helps develop their musicianship, songwriting, and performance skills. For bands and duos, it’s a collaborative effort that builds teamwork and important life skills, like communication.

“All entrants are learning valuable lessons in setting goals and experiencing the sense of achievement that comes from creating something and showcasing it.”

The full list of awards for Rotorua

1st place Band - Pocket Watchers, Taupo-Nui-A-Tia-College.

2nd place Band - Nga Kai Kiore, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Huiarau.

3rd place Band - Rau Huia, Rotorua Boys’ High School.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

1st place Solo-Duo - Mikayla Edwards, Tauhara College.

2nd place Solo-Duo - Floss Savanah and John Tamuno, John Paul College.

1st place Smokefree Tangata Beats (band) - Kotahi te Rā, Rotorua Boys’ High School.

Musicianship Award - Te Ruanuku Teka from Mad Machines, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Huiarau.

Musicianship Award - Revamp, Taupo-Nui-A-Tia-College.

Smokefree Best Vocals Award - Te Uamairangi Webster-Tarei from Kotahi te Rā, Rotorua Boys’ High School.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

ZM Best Song Award - Angelica, John Paul College.

APRA Lyric Award - Tiffany from Stuck In A Smile for Echo In The Room, Reporoa College.

Rockshop Electronic Assist Performance Award - Angelica, John Paul College.

The tour continues with regional events, leading to the Smokefree Rockquest national final on September 20, following the Smokefree Tangata Beats national final on September 13, both in Auckland.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

'All sorts of destruction': Tornado strikes Hamilton, thunderstorms buffet upper North Island

29 May 10:05 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Lakeside holiday homeowners face big sewerage bills

29 May 04:57 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Crash cuts power to hundreds in Rotorua

29 May 04:28 AM

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

'All sorts of destruction': Tornado strikes Hamilton, thunderstorms buffet upper North Island

'All sorts of destruction': Tornado strikes Hamilton, thunderstorms buffet upper North Island

29 May 10:05 AM

Civil Defence warned Waikato weather remains 'highly dynamic'.

Lakeside holiday homeowners face big sewerage bills

Lakeside holiday homeowners face big sewerage bills

29 May 04:57 AM
Crash cuts power to hundreds in Rotorua

Crash cuts power to hundreds in Rotorua

29 May 04:28 AM
'A city that’s finding its feet again': Businesses optimistic in survey, air connectivity key issue

'A city that’s finding its feet again': Businesses optimistic in survey, air connectivity key issue

29 May 12:00 AM
Explore the hidden gems of NSW
sponsored

Explore the hidden gems of NSW

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP